Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan warned that Afghanistan have enough quality to defeat India in the T20I series.
Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan said Afghanistan have enough quality to defeat India in the upcoming T20I series. Speaking exclusively to Zee News Digital, Razdan emphasised that one outstanding performance can change the course of a T20 match. Afghanistan will host India at Arun Jaitley Stadium starting Sunday.
Razdan highlighted Afghanistan's ability to produce match-winning spells, particularly from their experienced players. The former pacer said teams should not underestimate Afghanistan's capacity to upset higher-ranked sides. His comments come ahead of a series that serves as preparation for both teams.
Afghanistan have shown they can compete with full-member nations in limited-overs cricket. The series offers them an opportunity to test their preparations against a strong Indian side.
Chopra argues age alone does not explain Shami's continued exclusion from India side.
Former India batsman Aakash Chopra dismissed suggestions that age is the primary reason Mohammed Shami remains outside the national team. Shami has not played for India since the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March 2025.
Chopra pointed to the continued selection of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as evidence that age alone does not determine selection. Shami has performed consistently in domestic cricket since his last international appearance.
Selectors have not publicly explained the exclusion. Shami recently helped East Zone win the Dulem Trophy.
Shreyas Iyer admitted the selection call between Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was tight for the Afghanistan series opener.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said the selection call between openers was tight ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan. Iyer praised Gautam Gambhir's coaching, highlighting his trust-building, clear role definition, and one-on-one player management.
India omitted 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI with Sanju Samson returning to open alongside Abhishek Sharma. Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The three-match series serves as preparation for India's upcoming Asian Games campaign in Japan. Iyer expressed excitement about making his Asian Games debut and interacting with the country's top athletes at the quadrennial event.
Shreyas Iyer highlighted Gautam Gambhir's man-management approach as a key strength ahead of India's T20I series against Afghanistan.
India captain Shreyas Iyer credited head coach Gautam Gambhir with excellent one-on-one player management ahead of the Afghanistan T20I series. Iyer said Gambhir's approach helped players understand their roles without feeling burdened by specific expectations. The comments came during the team's preparation in New Delhi.
Iyer faces selection decisions between openers Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the three-match series. The captain described the choice as tight with depth providing a luxury rather than a problem. India opted to bowl first after winning the toss in the series opener.
The team is using the Afghanistan series as preparation for the Asian Games in Japan. Iyer expressed excitement about leading India at the multi-sport event for the first time.
Jasprit Bumrah has been declared fit for India's T20I series against Afghanistan and the Asian Games. The fast bowler missed recent matches due to injury but has recovered in time for the September series. Bumrah trained at the Kotla and bowled in the nets ahead of the first T20I.
Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the series and the Asian Games after suffering a rectus femoris strain during a match simulation on September 7. The BCCI confirmed that Rana was making good progress in his rehabilitation before the new injury setback. Yash Thakur has been named as his replacement.
Bumrah's return strengthens India's pace attack for the T20I series. The fast bowler is expected to play a key role in the three-match series starting on September 13.
Somerset beat Leicestershire by 377 runs to stay top of the County Championship.
Craig Overton and Jack Leach combined to inflict a 377-run thrashing on Leicestershire and keep Somerset top of the Rothesay County Championship with only two more rounds to go.
Overton took four for 33 and Leach three for 30 as Somerset completed the win in three days. Tom Nicholls scored his first Championship hundred for the visitors.
Somerset remain at the summit of Division One with two rounds remaining in the season.
Dhoni's ownership stake positions him to influence CSK's coaching appointment after Fleming's departure.
MS Dhoni holds over one lakh CSK shares worth around three crore rupees. He acquired them through off-market deals, according to reports. The former captain never requested a formal stake in the franchise, and CSK have denied any takeover talks.
CSK are searching for a new coach after Stephen Fleming. Dhoni favours an Indian-led support staff, and former India batter Hemang Badani has emerged as the frontrunner for the head coach role. The shares give Dhoni a seat at the table when the franchise picks its next coach.
Dhoni also backs the Jharkhand batting core that powered East Zone to their first Duleep Trophy title since 2012.
Yuzvendra Chahal took a five-wicket match haul against Worcestershire to help Northamptonshire keep their promotion hopes alive.
Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a five-wicket match haul against Worcestershire to help Northamptonshire keep their promotion hopes alive in the County Championship. The Indian legspinner took 4 for 46 in the second innings as Northants eased to a six-wicket win at New Road.
Chahal's superb form in English county cricket shows no signs of slowing down. The spinner has been instrumental in Northamptonshire's push for promotion from Division Two.
Northants completed the victory inside three days, with Chahal's wickets proving decisive in restricting Worcestershire's scoring options throughout the match.
AB de Villiers raised concerns about Tilak Varma's role and India's batting balance ahead of the Afghanistan T20I series.
Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers raised concerns about Tilak Varma's role in India's T20I setup ahead of the Afghanistan series. De Villiers said the team's batting balance remains tricky with Varma's positioning in the order. The 22-year-old has shown promise but faces competition for a middle-order spot.
India's selectors must decide how to fit Varma into a lineup that includes established names and emerging talents. The Afghanistan series offers an opportunity to clarify roles before the Asian Games. De Villiers' comments highlight the challenges of managing young talent in a competitive environment.
Varma impressed in recent domestic cricket but needs consistent international opportunities to establish himself. The series against Afghanistan will test India's depth across all departments.
Ben McKinney's 184 and Brydon Carse's five-wicket haul put Durham in control against Middlesex and within reach of promotion.
Ben McKinney scored 184 for Durham against Middlesex in Division Two of the County Championship. The century was McKinney's third of the season and put Durham within touching distance of promotion.
Brydon Carse took a five-wicket haul to restrict Middlesex and leave Durham in control at Chester-le-Street. The result strengthened Durham's position at the top of the Division Two table.
Middlesex face a difficult chase if they are to avoid defeat. Durham need one more win to confirm their return to Division One with two rounds remaining.
Mohammed Siraj said a two-month hiatus disrupted his bowling flow and pace during the Sri Lanka Tests, but he rediscovered his rhythm in the Duleep Trophy final.
Mohammed Siraj said a two-month break left his run-up ragged and his pace down during the Sri Lanka Tests. The rhythm never felt right, and he knew it showed.
In the Duleep Trophy final against East Zone at Chepauk he conceded 187 runs and picked up just one wicket. The second innings brought the old feel back.
Shami had told him to trust the basics during the layoff. Siraj now believes his body needs regular bowling to stay sharp.
Alastair Cook called the lack of centuries from England batters a concern after they managed only one hundred across six Tests this summer.
England batters produced 22 scores of 50 or more across six Tests this summer, but only one century was recorded. Ben Duckett scored 113 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, the sole hundred of the series.
Alastair Cook described the lack of centuries as a concern for the England team. The former captain noted that while the middle order contributed multiple half-centuries, the conversion rate remained low throughout the campaign.
The issue comes ahead of England's upcoming three-Test series against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The first match begins on Friday.
Dan Lawrence out for 75 as England declare at 453, taking a 320-run lead in the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston.
Dan Lawrence was dismissed for 75 as England reached 453 all out on the second day of the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. He was one of five England batters who scored between 50 and 75 in the innings.
England's total gave them a 320-run lead. The visitors had been bowled out for 133 in their first innings, extending a difficult series for Pakistan's batting line-up.
Lawrence expressed disappointment at missing out on a century after reaching his fifty with relative ease on a flat pitch.
Morne Morkel's work visa delay keeps him in South Africa as India prepare for Afghanistan T20Is.
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel remains in South Africa sorting out his work visa renewal and missed a preparatory session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday. The absence raised eyebrows as India prepare for the Afghanistan T20I series beginning September 13.
Morkel is expected to rejoin the squad in a few days once the visa issue is resolved. The delay comes as India manage multiple staff changes ahead of the series, including the reported departure of physio Kamlesh Jain.
Sunil Gavaskar urged the ICC to address India's packed cricket calendar, saying players are neither machines nor sugarcane.
Sunil Gavaskar has urged the ICC to ease India's packed schedule. The former captain said Indian players are neither machines nor sugarcane, and the calendar leaves them little room to rest or prepare.
Gavaskar wants player welfare to shape scheduling decisions. He called India's season unending, with domestic cricket squeezed between back-to-back international commitments.
The comments arrive ahead of the Afghanistan T20Is and the Asian Games, two more fixtures in an already crowded window.
Rain forced an early end to the second day of the third Test between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday. Pakistan reached 52 for two in their second innings before play was halted, still 268 runs behind the hosts.
England had earlier extended their lead to 274 runs after declaring at 453 all out in their first innings. Dan Lawrence scored 65, falling five short of a century, and has now made 312 runs in the series at an average of 52.
Pakistan lost early wickets in their first innings and struggled to build partnerships on a surface offering assistance to England's bowlers. The rain interruption leaves the match evenly poised heading into day three.
Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were questioned for four hours by Pakistan's cyber crime agency over alleged team information leaks.
Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq appeared before Pakistan's National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Lahore over alleged dressing-room leaks during the Test series against England. A third cricketer is also under investigation. The Pakistan Cricket Board took custody of the players' mobile phones and handed them over to authorities.
Investigators examined their bank accounts as part of the probe into claims that confidential team information was shared. Both players submitted written responses during questioning that lasted approximately four hours.
They will miss the President's Trophy Grade-I due to missing fitness reports required by PCB rules.
Sunil Gavaskar criticised the BCCI for prioritising white-ball domestic formats over the Ranji Trophy ahead of the IPL auction cycle.
Sunil Gavaskar criticised the BCCI's scheduling that places greater emphasis on white-ball domestic formats over the Ranji Trophy. He made the comments during coverage of the Duleep Trophy 2026.
Gavaskar argued that the upcoming IPL auction cycle has compressed the red-ball calendar. He said meaningful preparation time for first-class cricket has been reduced.
The former India captain called for a review of domestic priorities before the next international season.
The BCCI has reopened applications for Head of Sports Science and Medicine at its Bengaluru Centre of Excellence with a September 30 deadline.
RCB
The BCCI has reopened applications for the position of Head of Sports Science and Medicine at its Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The deadline for applications is September 30. Nitin Patel left the role in March 2025 and no full-time replacement has been appointed since.
The position covers medical support, fitness programmes, injury prevention and rehabilitation for all Indian teams. The first round of applications did not produce a suitable candidate. The board has now invited fresh submissions for the high-profile post.
The BCCI faces challenges filling the full-time position that has remained vacant for over 18 months. The role oversees medical, fitness and rehabilitation programmes across all formats and age groups.
Rashid Latif questioned Mike Hesson's loyalty as Pakistan coach, pointing to his time as RCB head coach in the IPL. He told the PCB it should vet foreign coaches with IPL ties to avoid conflicts of interest.
Hesson took the Pakistan job straight after RCB. Latif warned that coaches arriving from the IPL can end up building their own networks of agents.
The PCB has not responded to Latif's comments. Hesson stays in charge of Pakistan's upcoming fixtures.
