Nitish Kumar Reddy said staying positive during recovery helped him return with a three-wicket haul against Afghanistan.
Nitish Kumar Reddy missed the tours of Ireland, England and Zimbabwe after picking up a side strain in June. Back in the side for the second T20I against Afghanistan, the 23-year-old all-rounder finished with 3 for 20 and was named Player of the Match.
He said the daily calls with friends and the occasional trip home helped him cope with the mental strain of rehab at the Centre of Excellence. The team management kept trusting him through the lay-off, he added, and that trust paid off.
India have already wrapped up the series with one match left.
Gautam Gambhir said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi must wait for his India opportunity behind established performers like Sanju Samson.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his next senior team chance. The teenager was left out of all three T20Is against Afghanistan despite strong domestic form. Gambhir said Sanju Samson, who scored two half-centuries in the series, remains ahead in the queue after consistent performances over two years. The coach described leaving Samson out of the preceding England series as the toughest decision of his tenure. Gambhir added that every player, regardless of age, must wait for opportunity and earn an extended run once selected.
Srikkanth said the team management is sending wrong signals by dropping Sooryavanshi after strong performances at every level.
Former India player Krishnamachari Srikkanth has criticised the team management for dropping 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the first two T20Is against Afghanistan. Sanju Samson opened both matches and scored 57 off 22 balls in the second, but Srikkanth said the decision to leave Sooryavanshi out sends the wrong message to young players.
Srikkanth said his wife questioned the exclusion and argued that a player who performed at every level should not be rotated in and out of the side. He added that giving both Samson and Sooryavanshi only two matches each creates uncertainty and prevents either from settling into the role.
India captain Shreyas Iyer has indicated the team may use the dead-rubber third T20I on September 17 to give bench players a look-in before the Asian Games. Sooryavanshi has been omitted from both matches in the series despite winning Player of the Series against Zimbabwe.
The 2027 mini-auction may return to India after three years abroad.
The BCCI is considering bringing the IPL 2027 mini-auction back to India after three successive overseas events in Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Dubai. The matter was discussed during the IPL Governing Council meeting on September 15.
The last IPL auction held in India took place in Kochi in 2023. Franchises have reportedly expressed a preference for an Indian venue, citing logistical difficulties of travelling abroad with large delegations. The BCCI will assess hotel availability, with around 100 rooms required for the two-day event.
The IPL 2028 mega-auction could still be staged overseas. No decision has been taken on the Impact Player rule, which may be discussed again within a month.
Rinku Singh is working on his bowling because he wants to stay in India's T20I side. The 28-year-old has spent the last year in and out of the team as selectors pick all-rounders for the middle order.
He has bowled off-spin at international level and wants to show he can improve. Being dropped hurts, he said, but staying positive is the only way through it.
Competition keeps rising because the IPL keeps throwing up new players every season. Rinku made it clear that you don't have to change your game just because someone else has arrived.
Valuation model shows Yusuf Pathan's 2009 season returned nearly nine times his Rs 1.9 crore fee.
Rajasthan Royals paid approximately Rs 1.9 crore for Yusuf Pathan at the inaugural IPL auction in 2009. A valuation model estimates his season produced close to Rs 17 crore in cricketing value. The all-rounder finished with 243 runs and seven wickets as Rajasthan failed to defend their title.
Two individual performances exceeded the entire acquisition cost. Pathan scored 42 from 21 balls plus 18 from four deliveries in a Super Over against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 23, valued at roughly Rs 5.24 crore. Five days later he made an unbeaten 62 from 30 balls in a chase against Delhi Daredevils, estimated at Rs 5.07 crore.
The model shows Pathan's value concentrated in sudden match-defining interventions rather than consistent output across 13 appearances. Those two matches alone generated an estimated Rs 10.31 crore for a player whose full-season fee was Rs 1.9 crore.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar says the IPL auction creates unnecessary mental stress and should be removed.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar wants the BCCI to scrap the IPL auction. The 36-year-old still remembers the nerves that hit him before every bidding round, even after he'd played for India for years.
He was leading Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy when RCB paid Rs 10.75 crore for him in the 2025 mega auction. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants had been in the mix too, so the final price caught him off guard.
Since joining RCB ahead of the 2025 season, Kumar has picked up 45 wickets in 30 matches across two title-winning campaigns. The franchise's low-pressure setup helped him settle fast.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar said the IPL auction creates unnecessary mental strain on players and that he would remove the system if given the option.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was 36 when he said it plainly: the IPL auction needs to go. The nerves hit him even back in 2014, when he was already playing for India. The uncertainty sits in your head, he said, and the bat suffers.
RCB paid 10.75 crore for him in 2025. The franchise's support staff helped him settle, and their relaxed approach has shown in his recent form.
Carse's four wickets helped Durham seal promotion on the final day against Middlesex.
Durham clinched promotion to Division One of the County Championship with a 93-run victory over Middlesex at Chester-le-Street. Brydon Carse took four wickets and Callum Parkinson claimed four for 45 to bowl Middlesex out.
Harry Duke scored an unbeaten century in Middlesex's second innings but could not prevent defeat. Durham needed eight wickets on the final morning and took them inside 50 overs.
The result returns Durham to the top flight next season after relegation in 2025.
Unadkat's 4 for 36 kept Sussex on top after Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 115.
Jaydev Unadkat took four wickets as Sussex reduced Nottinghamshire to 115 all out on the first day of their County Championship match at Hove. Unadkat finished with 4 for 36 from ten overs.
Nottinghamshire's innings collapsed after a battling ninth-wicket stand threatened to extend their total. Sussex reached stumps on 30 without loss, leading by 47 runs.
Unadkat reached 500 first-class wickets during the innings.
Sanju Samson said he deals with external criticism by switching off his Wi-Fi after scoring 57 off 22 balls in the second T20I against Afghanistan on Tuesday. The 31-year-old admitted that comments still affect him and that he is not immune to pressure, but added that he focuses on his preparation and role within the team rather than selection debates. Samson also said he understands the team management's decision to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for earlier matches and does not view the teenager as a personal rival.
Rinku Singh and Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj will marry on 4 December in Lucknow, 15 months after their engagement and eight months after the original date was postponed.
Rinku Singh and Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj will marry on 4 December at the Ramada Hotel in Lucknow. The couple got engaged on June 8, 2025, at The Centrum Hotel in the same city. The original June 2026 wedding date was postponed after Rinku’s father died of cancer on February 27, 2026.
Both families resumed preparations after the postponement. The engagement drew figures from cricket and politics, including BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former India spinner Piyush Chawla, who are expected to attend the wedding. Rinku first contacted Priya after seeing her photograph on a fan page during the IPL in Mumbai in the COVID years.
The Kolkata Knight Riders batter has scored 702 runs in 48 T20Is at an average of 36.94. He led Meerut Mavericks to the Uttar Pradesh T20 League title on September 6 and is not part of India’s current T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.
Former sports adviser Dr Asif Nazrul has questioned why Bangladesh's decision not to travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup is being investigated months after the event. A three-member probe committee formed by the National Sports Council on May 10 concluded that Nazrul was responsible for the team's absence.
The committee found that Nazrul, who served as sports minister in the interim government, made the call after the ICC rejected a request to move Bangladesh's matches out of India. Nazrul admitted the decision was his but said he fails to understand why the matter needed investigation after such a long delay.
Nazrul cited security concerns following Mustafizur Rahman's removal from the IPL and said the interim government made efforts to shift the tournament to another venue without success.
Kris Srikkanth has questioned why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains on the bench despite his Player of the Series heroics against Zimbabwe.
Former India selector Kris Srikkanth has questioned the decision to leave out 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from India's playing XI for the second consecutive T20I against Afghanistan. Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Series against Zimbabwe after scoring 151 runs at a strike rate of 196.10, yet he remains on the bench as Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma open the innings. Srikkanth said even his wife questioned the exclusion after watching the first match.
Srikkanth criticized the team management for not treating Sooryavanshi properly and warned that repeatedly changing the opening combination could leave players unsure about their positions. He said the current approach of giving both Samson and Sooryavanshi two matches here and there is not good for either player. Samson scored 10 runs in the first T20I before making 57 off 22 balls in the second match.
India have made just one change to their playing XI for the second T20I, with Ravi Bishnoi coming in for the injured Varun Chakravarthy. Sooryavanshi was seen taking part in fielding drills before the match but was not selected despite his recent form.
Kuldeep took 10 wickets in three County Championship matches after recent India omissions.
Kuldeep Yadav said he feels bad when left out of India's playing XI but accepts management decisions on team balance. The left-arm spinner was dropped from the Test side against Sri Lanka after limited use in Galle and missed the T20I series against Afghanistan.
Kuldeep recorded career-best innings figures of 6 for 50 for Yorkshire at Headingley, completing his first ten-wicket match haul in first-class cricket. He insisted the county stint was not an attempt to prove a point to selectors.
The 31-year-old added that English conditions help spinners and batters face unfamiliar challenges. He plans to return to Yorkshire next season.
Gulbadin Naib has revealed a strong personal bond with Axar Patel ahead of Afghanistan's second T20I against India.
Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib has spoken about his close personal bond with India all-rounder Axar Patel ahead of the second T20I in Indore. Naib said the relationship extends beyond the field and has developed over several years of international cricket. The comments come as Afghanistan look to level the series after losing the opener in Delhi.
Naib did not elaborate on specific conversations but said the friendship helps both players maintain perspective during high-stakes matches. Axar has been a consistent presence in India's limited-overs setup since 2022. The two teams have met regularly across white-ball formats in recent cycles.
The series continues with India holding a 1-0 lead. Afghanistan have yet to beat India in a T20I completed match.
Sanjiv Goenka says Lakshmi Mittal will never let Vaibhav Sooryavanshi leave Rajasthan Royals.
Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka said every IPL franchise except Rajasthan Royals is upset that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is not part of their squad. Goenka made the remark on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast while discussing the 15-year-old’s rapid rise. Sooryavanshi was bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.1 crore at the 2025 mega auction.
Goenka said that with Lakshmi Mittal holding majority stakes in RR, the franchise would not release the teenager. He added that if Sooryavanshi ever became available, every other owner would be ready to bid. Goenka praised the batter’s confidence and said he was already a player for big occasions.
Sooryavanshi remains with Rajasthan Royals under a long-term contract.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar explained how he accepted that a return to the India team was not happening after initial hope faded following the 2022 World Cup.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has revealed he gradually accepted that a recall to the India team was not materialising after initially believing he would return. The 36-year-old said he felt he would be back after the next two series but the opportunities never arrived. Kumar has not played for India since his last limited-overs appearance in 2022.
The pacer picked up 45 wickets across the last two IPL seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has represented India in 21 Tests, 121 ODIs and 87 T20Is, taking 63, 141 and 90 wickets respectively. Kumar said he is not playing to prove anything to selectors but would welcome another chance.
The veteran admitted he told family members he believed the 2022 World Cup would be his last. His recent IPL form has renewed speculation about a possible comeback.
Kuldeep Yadav vows to return to the County Championship after career-best figures of 10 for 120 helped Yorkshire beat Essex by an innings.
Kuldeep Yadav has promised to return to the County Championship after taking a career-best 10 wickets in a match for Yorkshire against Essex at Headingley. His figures helped Yorkshire secure an innings-and-106-run victory.
The left-arm wrist-spinner was named Player of the Round in the County Championship for his performance. Yadav has been playing county cricket after being dropped from India's Test and T20I squads.
Yorkshire officials have expressed interest in retaining Yadav for future seasons. The spinner said the experience has improved his consistency and control in English conditions.
Smith leaves 2027 Ashes participation in doubt as T20 and Olympics take priority.
Australia batter Steve Smith has raised doubts over his participation in the 2027 Ashes tour of England. The 37-year-old said he is managing his Test career on a series-by-series basis while prioritising T20 cricket and a potential appearance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Smith described his Test future as uncertain and said he does not have an end date in mind. His focus has shifted toward shorter formats in the later stages of his career.
Australia have not confirmed whether Smith will be considered for the next Ashes cycle.
