Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Dasgupta said Sourav Ganguly's captaincy changed Team India's approach to sledging and self-belief during his 49-Test tenure. Dasgupta, who played eight Tests and five ODIs, noted that Ganguly encouraged players to respond when opponents sledged, marking a shift from earlier eras.

Ganguly recorded 21 Test wins, 13 losses and 15 draws as captain. The cultural change laid foundations that later captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli built upon during their own successful tenures.

R Ashwin rated Jasprit Bumrah above Virat Kohli when comparing India's premier fast bowler with the former captain. The spinner eventually selected Sachin Tendulkar over Kapil Dev as his all-time best Indian cricketer. Ashwin's comments come as Bumrah continues to lead India's pace attack without other frontline options.

In Bumrah's absence, the Indian pace attack delivered a promising performance during the Sri Lanka Test series win. The bowlers maintained pressure despite difficult conditions and opposition tactics. The series victory showed the depth in India's fast bowling resources.

Ashwin's assessment places current players in historical context while acknowledging their contributions to the team's success. The comments come as the BCCI considers sending a B team to the Asian Games cricket tournament due to dissatisfaction with facilities.

Dhruv Jurel flipped the bail after Sri Lanka reached 429 for nine on the final day in Colombo. India couldn't finish them off, so the second Test finished a draw and the series closed 1-0.

The 23-year-old keeper had already drawn praise from former India players for the way he batted through the two matches. The draw stopped India from wrapping the series 2-0.

Former South Africa captain Dean Elgar struck his 56th first-class hundred for Essex against Surrey on August 28, 2026. The innings came just two days after Elgar confirmed he would retire at the end of the season.

Elgar has been playing county cricket for Essex since the 2024 season. His 56th first-class century adds to a career that includes 74 Test matches for South Africa.

Elgar will continue to play for Essex until the end of the current English domestic season.

Neeraj Chopra tore ankle ligaments in training and won't compete again in 2026. The injury rules him out of the Asian Games and Diamond League Final. Medical staff say the tear needs long rehab, though no return date has been set.

This season was meant to build on his Olympic and world titles. Instead, India's top javelin thrower sits out two major events where he would have been the strongest individual medal hope.

The athletics federation now has to recalibrate targets for both competitions without its most consistent performer.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the stand-in skipper for East Zone after Ishan Kishan suffered a finger injury in the Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone. The 15-year-old was named vice-captain before stepping up.

Sooryavanshi had already broken the record for the youngest Duleep Trophy fifty-scorer during the match. He reached fifty off 42 balls before being dismissed for 92.

Selectors are monitoring his leadership skills alongside his batting ability. East Zone were bowled out for 266 on day two.

On August 29, 1882, Australia beat England by seven runs at The Oval and ended a 20-year unbeaten home record. The next day The Sporting Times ran a mock obituary that declared English cricket dead and said the ashes would be taken to Australia.

That line stuck. It became the permanent name for the Test series between the two sides, and the teams have now played 73 Ashes contests. England lead 32-30.

State cricket associations are stuck between two sets of rules. The BCCI says its elections must follow its own constitution, not the government's December 2026 postponement notice. That puts cooling-off periods and conflict-of-interest rules back on the table.

Multiple state bodies have already asked for written guidance on which calendar to use. Without it, they're holding off on calling their own polls.

The row is simple: the board wants to run its own house, but the states can't move until someone tells them whose timetable applies.

A record-breaking Ranji season and Player of the Series on his ODI debut suggested a long India career. Instead, injury and vision trouble ended it after 13 matches. He averaged 106 in first-class cricket and dismissed Jacques Kallis on his Test debut. An eye surgery finished his international prospects.

Eighteen months in bed after the injury broke his rhythm at the wrong time. The vision problems that came after surgery made batting and fielding harder each season. Medical advice pushed him to retire.

He had the talent across formats, but the body stopped cooperating before the schedule could catch up.

England took control of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's on Thursday, reaching stumps on day two with an overall lead of 261 runs. The hosts dismissed Pakistan for 110 in their first innings before extending their advantage with the bat.

England's seam attack overwhelmed Pakistan's batting on a pitch offering assistance to pace bowlers. The visitors struggled to build partnerships as England's quartet of seamers maintained pressure throughout the innings.

Pakistan face a significant deficit heading into day three with seven wickets remaining. England require one more victory to secure their first home Test series win in two years.

Dewald Brevis scored an unbeaten 75 as South Africa beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the T20I tri-series on Sunday.

South Africa chased down the target of 145 in 13.4 overs after losing to Namibia in their opening match. Brevis hit eight fours and four sixes in his 32-ball knock.

Prenelan Subrayen praised the innings, calling it a privilege to watch. The victory keeps South Africa in contention in the tri-series. They play Namibia again on Monday before the tournament concludes later this week.

Namibia defeated South Africa by 18 runs in the opening match of a T20I tri-series also involving Zimbabwe. Namibia posted 163 and defended the total as South Africa finished on 145 for nine. Ruben Trumpelmann took three for 24, including the wicket of Dewald Brevis.

Brevis scored 75 off 50 balls in a lone hand for South Africa but received little support from the other end. Jan Frylinck also contributed with the ball for the hosts. The victory marked Namibia's first win against South Africa in T20I cricket.

South Africa fielded a depleted squad for the match in Windhoek on Friday.