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.

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.

A number of familiar names have retired from international cricket in 2026 across Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, England and Bangladesh. The list includes players who featured in multiple World Cups and major bilateral series.

Retirements have created vacancies in several national squads ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle. Boards are now evaluating domestic performers to fill the gaps left by experienced players.

The departures span all formats and include both batters and bowlers who have represented their countries for more than a decade. Selection panels across the Test-playing nations are assessing the next generation of players.

England must decide their top-order composition for the Test series against South Africa after completing their 3-0 sweep of Pakistan. Jacob Bethell's return from a knee injury creates competition for places among the batting group.

Bethell missed the Pakistan series and will compete with players who performed during the sweep. England play the world champions in December.

The squad must balance recent form against the different challenge South Africa present after Pakistan struggled throughout the tour.

Naman Dhir smashed five sixes in an over during an explosive 91 off 37 balls for Amritsar Soormas in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League semi-final.

The Mumbai Indians batter's innings came against Mohali Kings at the I.S. Bindra Stadium. Ludhiana Lions chased 177 to beat Amritsar Soormas by five wickets and seal their place in the last four.

Krish Bhagat took two wickets for Ludhiana and dedicated the spell to his late grandfather who passed away the previous night.

Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan has defended the Centre of Excellence after it came under criticism for India's injury problems ahead of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

Razdan said two players cannot be faulted for the current situation and urged patience with the setup. He also praised the young left-hander's rise as India prepare for the series starting in Delhi.

The former seamer called for calm as the team management handles fitness concerns before the series opener.

Shreyas Iyer said he faces a tough call between Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for India's opening combination ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan.

Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane urged the team management to stick with Samson and give the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi more time. Vivek Razdan also backed Samson to open, saying logic dictates a return to the World Cup-winning batter.

India begin the three-match series at Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 13.

Wasim Jaffer said India A could hand the white-ball captaincy to any of three players for the upcoming series against Australia A. He named Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar and Ishan Kishan as viable options.

The BCCI has named India A squads for the home series against Australia A. Devdutt Padikkal will captain the multi-day side while Ruturaj Gaikwad leads the one-day team. Hardik Pandya is included in the ODI squad subject to fitness clearance.

The three-match 50-over series will be played in Puducherry between October 6 and 11.

Mohammad Abbas removed Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay in the first over of day four as England collapsed to 2 for 2 while chasing 130 against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The Pakistan seamer's double strike left the hosts in early trouble on the final morning.

England require 130 to win the third Test after Pakistan's lower order showed fight on day three. Razaullah scored a rapid 81 from number nine to set the target. The dramatic start gave Pakistan a strong position to defend their total. England will need a significant recovery to avoid a series defeat.

Sarandeep Singh backed the Indian team management on Harshit Rana's injury setbacks, stating that players are not rushed back without BCCI Centre of Excellence fitness clearance. Rana has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the Asian Games.

The pacer has suffered multiple injury setbacks in recent months. Team officials have maintained that medical protocols must be followed regardless of selection pressure.

Yash Thakur replaced Rana in the squad and had a lengthy bowl to skipper Shreyas Iyer during nets. The management continues to monitor Rana's rehabilitation timeline.

Cheteshwar Pujara claimed that Australia had access to a live dressing-room feed during the 2017 India-Australia series, giving them an unfair advantage in DRS decisions. The India batter said every time Australia took a review, it proved correct.

Pujara revealed the practice while discussing Steve Smith's controversial 'brain fade' dismissal during that series. He said the live feed allowed Australia to make more informed DRS calls than was fair.

The claims add to ongoing debates about technology use in international cricket. No official response has been made by Cricket Australia regarding the allegations.