Wasim Jaffer isn't buying the decision. He says Rinku Singh had no reason to sit out against Afghanistan, and the choice leaves the finisher's spot looking more muddled than settled.

Rinku has hovered around the edges all year. A few strong knocks, then back to the bench, and the pattern hasn't changed. Jaffer sees it clearly enough — the talent's there, the trust isn't.

Selectors keep circling the same problem. They pick him, drop him, pick him again, and still haven't given him a run long enough to judge what he actually is in this side.

The BCCI announced a 15-member squad on Tuesday for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan scheduled from 13 to 17 September at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Sanju Samson returns to the side after missing the recent white-ball tours, while Hardik Pandya remains unavailable due to recurring fitness issues that have kept him out for nearly six months.

Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were included subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi retains his place in the squad following his earlier selection. All three matches will be played in the capital before India travels to defend its Asian Games gold later this month.

The series forms part of India's preparations ahead of next year's ODI World Cup, with the BCCI set to review senior player availability at a meeting in Mumbai on Thursday.

Hampshire have withdrawn New Zealand all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn from their County Championship squad following fan opposition to his signing. The club had named him for the final four matches but reversed the decision on September 2, 2026 after supporters voiced strong criticism over his past legal case. Kuggeleijn was acquitted of rape and indecent assault charges in 2017.

The U-turn came after Kuggeleijn's name appeared on a published team sheet without prior announcement. Protests followed his inclusion at previous counties. One fan described the move as a disgrace while another labelled it shameful and a new low for the club.

Hampshire confirmed the decision after social media criticism intensified. The episode renews questions over how counties weigh past legal cases during player selection.

Sri Lanka have appointed Charith Asalanka as white-ball vice-captain for the upcoming series against England. Asalanka returns to the leadership group after being removed as ODI captain three months ago.

Kusal Mendis continues as the white-ball captain. All-rounder Dasun Shanaka makes an ODI comeback after a two-and-a-half-year absence from the format.

The series begins later this month. Asalanka's appointment signals a reset in Sri Lanka's limited-overs leadership structure.

Hampshire have withdrawn New Zealand all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn from their squad following widespread protests from supporters. Kuggeleijn was acquitted of rape and indecent assault charges in 2017.

The club faced immediate backlash after naming the player without a formal announcement. Multiple fans described the signing as shameful and called for his removal from the roster.

Hampshire confirmed the U-turn within days, and Kuggeleijn will not play any matches for the county this season.

Devdutt Padikkal moved up five spots in the latest ICC Test rankings after scoring twin centuries during India's tour of Sri Lanka. The RCB batter now sits at 54th among Test batsmen.

Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha recorded the largest jump, climbing 29 places to reach 25th after scoring resilient centuries in the second Test at Colombo. Captain Shubman Gill slipped two positions to ninth, while Jasprit Bumrah dropped one place among bowlers.

The rankings update reflects individual performances from the completed two-Test series between India and Sri Lanka.

Pitso Mosimane has been named South Africa head coach with a mandate to target success at the 2030 World Cup. The appointment was confirmed by SAFA president Danny Jordaan.

Mosimane replaces the previous coaching setup and brings experience from club and international levels. The 2030 World Cup on African soil is viewed as a significant opportunity.

Details of support staff and preparation plans are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has criticised the PCB's decision to sack seven players mid-series during the England Test tour. Malik stated that accountability should start with those who broke the system rather than the players who were dropped. The mass changes came after Pakistan lost the Lord's Test by 194 runs, giving England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. PCB selector Aaqib Javed had earlier defended the overhaul by citing leadership failures on the field. The third Test begins on September 9 at Edgbaston.

Punjab Kings spinner Harpreet Brar identified Shubman Gill as the batter he would most like to dismiss in the IPL. Brar made the comment following the conclusion of the 2026 IPL season.

The left-arm spinner also revealed that former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh remains his cricketing idol. Brar has been a retained player for Punjab Kings heading into the next season.

Gill currently captains the Indian Test side and leads the batting unit across formats for the national team.

Sri Lanka have named Sachindu Colombage and Tharindu Ratnayake in their squad for the white-ball tour to England. Colombage received his first international call-up while Ratnayake earned his maiden white-ball selection. Both players earned their spots through strong domestic performances in recent months.

The pair join the squad ahead of the limited-overs series against England. The tour provides the duo with their first opportunity to represent Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket at the international level.

Aaqib Javed has defended PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi's decision to sack coaches and release players during the England tour. The selector cited prolonged failure to compete as justification for the intervention.

Javed stated that the board had no choice but to step in after the team's consistent underperformance. The overhaul included changes to both the squad composition and coaching staff.

The intervention came after Pakistan lost the Lord's Test by 194 runs, giving England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has called the selectors' decision to make sweeping changes to the squad and remove head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed ahead of the third Test against England as the most shocking ever.

England left Brydon Carse out of their squad for the final Test at Edgbaston. Pakistan trail the series 0-2 after their 194-run defeat at Lord's.

The third Test begins on September 9 at Edgbaston.

Mumbai will select either Shreyas Iyer or Suryakumar Yadav to lead their white-ball teams depending on availability. Both players remain in contention for the limited-overs captaincy roles. The decision will be made once their international commitments are confirmed.

Iyer currently leads Punjab Kings in the IPL while Suryakumar plays for Mumbai Indians. Both have previous experience of captaining India in white-ball cricket. Mumbai's white-ball teams have used interim leadership arrangements in recent seasons.

The selection will affect team strategy and player management in the upcoming domestic white-ball tournaments. Mumbai have traditionally rotated captaincy duties across formats. The final decision will depend on which player can commit to the full domestic white-ball schedule.

South African-born English leg-spinner Calvin Harrison has joined Perth Scorchers for the 2026-27 Big Bash League season. Harrison earned the contract after a standout 2026 domestic season in England.

The reigning BBL champions added the wrist-spinner to strengthen their spin options ahead of the new campaign. Harrison will link up with the squad ahead of pre-season training.

Scorchers confirmed the signing on Tuesday, completing their overseas quota for the season.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was rushed to hospital after developing a high fever ahead of the decisive third Test against England. The development comes at a difficult time for Pakistan, who trail 0-2 in the three-match series.

The final Test is scheduled to begin at Edgbaston on September 9. Babar had been managing the side through a period of significant squad changes and internal scrutiny.

The illness adds another complication to Pakistan's preparations as they seek to avoid a clean sweep in the series.