Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian men's cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir turned up for the Sundays on Cycle ride on Sunday. They used the ride to push fitness as something every Indian should treat as routine rather than occasional.

The event mixed sports figures with ordinary citizens pedalling the same routes. Both men said the point was to get people moving regularly, not just to stage a photo-op.

Gambhir has made conditioning a central plank of his time as head coach, and he made the same case to the crowd after the ride ended.

VVS Laxman has argued that India's Centre of Excellence should not be restricted to contracted players only. The former India batter made the comments while discussing the country's cricket development pathway.

Laxman said the current structure limits opportunities for talented players outside the national contracted list. He emphasised the need for broader access to high-performance facilities and coaching resources.

The comments come as the BCCI continues to expand its domestic cricket infrastructure. Laxman suggested that opening the CoE to a wider pool of players would strengthen India's long-term talent pipeline.

The former India A batter made 113 for India A against a full India attack that included Kumble, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Pathan. The innings arrived when he was already in the frame for Test selection alongside established names.

He had put together 1,245 runs in one season and had shared stands with MS Dhoni for India A. Later he stepped into the batting order in place of Sachin Tendulkar, yet Gautam Gambhir took the Test spot ahead of him.

Domestic runs alone, even against that standard of attack, weren't enough to carry him through.

Central Zone will defend their Duleep Trophy title against East Zone on Sunday while South Zone meets North Zone in the other semifinal. The matches take place at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Central Zone carries the confidence of recent success while East Zone arrives with momentum from strong group-stage performances. South Zone, runners-up in the previous edition, faces a North Zone side that has added fresh reinforcements. Ishan Kishan captains East Zone and won the toss against Central Zone, electing to bowl first. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in the East Zone squad for the semifinal.

England reached 177 for seven in their second innings on day three of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's, extending their lead to 357 runs. Dan Lawrence remained unbeaten on 50 from 66 balls despite frequent rain interruptions.

The hosts now require one more substantial innings to push for victory with a match remaining in the series. Pakistan's bowlers found limited assistance from the conditions as England consolidated their position.

Lawrence's gritty innings came after rain had washed out significant portions of the day's play, leaving England with limited opportunities to build on their overnight advantage.

India women's head coach Amol Muzumdar has urged his team to adopt an aggressive style ahead of their Women's Asia Cup 2026 campaign opener. The call comes after India's group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, which exposed gaps in their shortest-format approach. Muzumdar emphasized the need to set the tone for the next six months of competition. India begins its title defense against Thailand on August 30 in Dubai, with the tournament running through September 13.

Rain interrupted the county cricket schedule on day three, forcing Durham to wait while Gloucestershire expressed dissatisfaction with the conditions. Lunch was taken at 1.10 pm with players practising in the middle and groundstaff working on the outfield. Cloudy conditions persisted through the afternoon, with England and Wales forecast to see spells of rain and showers, some heavy, while the far south remained windy.

Dan Lawrence scored an unbeaten 50 off 66 balls as England closed on 177 for 7 in their second innings on day three of the second Test at Lord's. The hosts lead Pakistan by 357 runs with one day remaining.

Rain interrupted play throughout the day and restricted England's batting time. Lawrence batted through the disruptions to anchor the innings and extend the lead.

England need one more day to complete victory and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan will need to bat out the final day to avoid defeat.

Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer shared wickets as England reduced Pakistan to 110 in their first innings on day two of the second Test at Lord's. Azan Awais resisted with a gritty knock but could not prevent the collapse.

Robinson took four wickets while Archer claimed three as Pakistan's batting order was dismantled. The visitors lost regular wickets throughout the day and failed to build any substantial partnerships.

England extended their first-innings lead and will look to press home their advantage when Pakistan bat again. The match is scheduled to finish within four days if the pattern of play continues.

Faf du Plessis and his Rotterdam Dockers teammates joined actor-politician Ravi Kishan's viral dance trend during the European T20 Premier League 2026. The South African captain and his team attempted the popular dance steps in a video that spread widely across social media.

The European T20 Premier League provided a platform for international players to participate in local entertainment alongside their cricket commitments. Du Plessis's involvement showed how players engage with cultural trends during overseas tournaments.

Social media trends often cross over between entertainment and sports communities. The participation of established cricketers in viral content creates connections with audiences beyond traditional cricket followers.

Central Zone play East Zone and South Zone face North Zone when the Duleep Trophy semis start on August 30 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Both matches are at the same venue.

Selectors are watching three fast bowlers closely, and the games give fringe players a last chance to catch the eye before the home season begins.

India's centrally-contracted players arrived at the same facility on Saturday for their fitness tests.

Suryakumar Yadav said he takes responsibility for not putting in enough effort to succeed in ODI cricket. The batter admitted he did not dedicate the required work to master the 50-over format compared with T20 cricket.

Yadav also addressed his removal as India's T20I captain after leading the team to World Cup victory. He stated he had been planning for the next two years when selectors informed him it was time to move on, and he did not question the decision to hand the role to Shreyas Iyer. The batter said he briefly contemplated whether to continue playing after the sacking, and his wife helped him regain his passion for the game.

Yadav remains available for selection when the selectors choose. He said he is putting in all the hard work and hoping for things to fall into place in the future.

New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry said his team worked out how to handle England's aggressive Test approach during their recent series. The 34-year-old described facing the strategy as a major challenge but praised the style for its impact on the format. New Zealand's results showed that teams could blunt the approach with disciplined lines and lengths.

Henry noted that the style forced opposition sides to adapt their own plans rather than simply react. He said the challenge lay in maintaining control under sustained pressure without conceding easy boundaries. The pacer's comments came after New Zealand completed their series against England.

England have since faced similar scrutiny in their ongoing series against Pakistan at Lord's. Henry's remarks point to a tactical shift among teams facing the same approach.