Gautam Gambhir called dropping Sanju Samson for the England series his toughest coaching call and told Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to wait his turn.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir described dropping Sanju Samson from the England series as probably the toughest decision of his tenure. Samson returned for the Afghanistan series and scored successive half-centuries.
Gambhir said the side reverted to the World Cup opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Samson because established players do not become bad after a few failures. He told teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi he must wait for his next opportunity.
India will play Japan in a one-off T20I on 22 September before their Asian Games campaign begins. Sooryavanshi remains in the squad but has not featured since the Zimbabwe series.
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali will miss the Asian Games 2026 for personal reasons, with no replacement named. The team cited logistical challenges and the short timeframe before the knockout competition ends on September 22.
Muneeba is understood to have withdrawn due to her mother's illness. Feroza Gull kept wickets in Pakistan's opening match against Thailand, which they won by three wickets to advance.
Pakistan will next face the winner of Sri Lanka versus Malaysia in the semi-final on Saturday.
Abhishek Sharma scored the fastest T20I hundred by a full-member batter, reaching three figures off 30 balls against Afghanistan.
Abhishek Sharma produced one of the most remarkable innings in T20 international cricket during the 3rd T20I between India and Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on September 17, 2026. He reached his century off just 30 balls, becoming the fastest batter from an ICC Full-Member nation to achieve the feat in T20I cricket.
Abhishek's innings of 108 off 34 balls included 9 fours and 11 sixes. He reached his fifty off 16 balls and then required only 14 more balls to bring up three figures. He was dismissed in the 10th over with India's score at 142 for 1, having contributed just over 76 per cent of his team's total at that point.
The previous Full-Member benchmark of 33 balls was jointly held by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, who set it against Gambia on October 23, 2024, and New Zealand's Finn Allen, who matched it against South Africa at the 2026 T20 World Cup on March 4, 2026.
India retained the top position in the ICC men's T20I team rankings with 269 rating points after completing a 3-0 series win over Afghanistan. England also sit on 269 points but remain second on the table.
Abhishek Sharma's 108 off 34 balls in the final match helped India post 221 for seven before Afghanistan were bowled out for 94. The series victories added one rating point to India's tally.
Afghanistan stayed tenth with 220 points. The next series for both teams will decide whether India can extend their lead before the T20 World Cup cycle intensifies.
Aakash Chopra lists Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Wasim Jaffer, Sanjay Bangar and Parthiv Patel as possible replacements for Ajit Agarkar.
Aakash Chopra has named five former cricketers who could replace Ajit Agarkar if his tenure as chief selector ends. He said the next appointment must come from the West Zone and listed Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Wasim Jaffer, Sanjay Bangar and Parthiv Patel as viable candidates.
Chopra described Zaheer Khan as "gold dust" for his understanding of the team's blueprint. He praised Wasim Jaffer for his domestic record and organised approach, and noted Irfan Pathan's strong cricketing credentials alongside his commentary work.
Agarkar's term has included both title wins and selection controversies, with the next meeting expected to address the white-ball squad for the West Indies series.
Guyana Amazon Warriors won their first Women's Caribbean Premier League title after defeating Trinbago Knight Riders in the final. Nadine de Klerk and Chedean Nation guided the Warriors home in a chase of 146 after the Knight Riders posted 145 for six.
Sushma Verma top-scored for Trinbago with 39 off 34 balls, while Shikha Pandey contributed 27 off 17 and took two wickets. Marizanne Kapp added a quick 25 off 10, but the Warriors recovered from 111 for seven to win with three balls remaining.
The victory marks a significant milestone for the Warriors in the expanding women's T20 franchise landscape.
Abhishek Sharma identified Fazalhaq Farooqi and Shivam Dube as the players most likely to be found admiring themselves in the mirror during a light-hearted exchange at a pre-match event.
Abhishek Sharma named Fazalhaq Farooqi the biggest mirror-gazer in the Afghanistan dressing room and Shivam Dube the same for India. The light-hearted jibe came at a pre-match event in New Delhi before the third T20I. Hours later Abhishek smashed 108 off 34 balls, eleven of them sixes, to finish the series 3-0. He reached three figures in 30 balls, the quickest T20I hundred by an Indian. Farooqi and Dube were once his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates.
The BCCI has not appointed a financial adviser to prepare the next IPL media rights tender, delaying the process.
The BCCI has not yet appointed a financial agency to draft the next IPL media rights tender, unlike the 2022 cycle when KPMG was engaged. Industry executives say the board needs to explore non-live digital rights packages and modular sales models to maximise value.
The ICC has formed a five-member working group to prepare its 2028-31 media rights cycle, but it will wait for the BCCI to release the IPL tender first. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia is part of the ICC group.
Executives believe separate monetisation of archives, highlights and regional content could generate significant additional revenue beyond traditional broadcast deals.
Jos Buttler reached 15,000 T20 runs in England's second T20I against Sri Lanka, the first player to achieve the feat.
Jos Buttler reached 15,000 career T20 runs during England's second T20I against Sri Lanka in Cardiff on Thursday. The England wicketkeeper-batter scored 30 from 16 balls to become the first player to breach the landmark. He achieved the mark in 528 matches, 214 fewer than Kieron Pollard who sits second on the list with 14,999 runs.
Buttler has scored nine T20 centuries and 107 fifties since his debut in 2009. He has represented 13 different teams across leagues including the IPL, The Hundred and international cricket.
England completed a 3-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka on Saturday at Old Trafford.
Tom Banton's unbeaten 52 helps England chase 146 and seal the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Tom Banton was on 52 not out when England finished the job. He faced 24 balls, hit four sixes, and reached his fifth T20I fifty — his quickest yet. England needed 146 and got there with 7.5 overs left after Sri Lanka had posted 145 for nine.
Liam Dawson took three for 32. Jamie Overton claimed two for 23 and Sonny Baker one for 15. Jos Buttler, batting at the other end, reached 30 off 16 and became the first man to 15,000 T20 runs. England have now beaten Sri Lanka in 14 straight T20Is.
Abhishek Sharma said Yuvraj Singh advised him to avoid forcing shots before his record 30-ball century against Afghanistan.
Abhishek Sharma said Yuvraj Singh texted him before the third T20I against Afghanistan advising him not to force shots and to rotate the strike when the ball was not in his hitting range. Sharma responded with a 30-ball century, the fastest by a batter from a full-member nation.
The left-hander finished with 108 off 34 balls, including 11 sixes, as India posted 221 for seven and won by 127 runs. He ended the series with 229 runs at a strike rate of 269.41. Sharma said the message reinforced his approach of watching the ball and playing according to its merit.
India completed a 3-0 series sweep. Abhishek also credited the backing from captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Gautam Gambhir for giving him freedom to express his game without restriction.
Cooper Connolly is drawing on Travis Head's batting shift as he angles for a Test return against South Africa.
Cooper Connolly is studying Travis Head's transition to the top order as he pushes for a Test recall against South Africa next month. The 23-year-old has batted at number three in recent white-ball matches and scored a half-century in the first ODI against Zimbabwe. Head moved from number five to open during last summer's Ashes.
Connolly said he has watched how Head reads the game and applies that approach in red-ball cricket. He has limited first-class experience after focusing on white-ball cricket and T20 leagues. Incumbent number three Marnus Labuschagne is in the squad but has struggled for form.
Selectors have not ruled out further changes before the three-Test series. Connolly and Josh Inglis are the reserve batters and both have shown promise higher up the order in tour matches.
Abhishek Sharma's 30-ball century powered India to a 127-run win and a 3-0 series sweep over Afghanistan.
Abhishek Sharma scored the fastest century between two full-member nations in T20Is as India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs in Delhi on Thursday. The opener reached his hundred off 30 balls and finished with 108 from 34 deliveries. India posted 221-7 and then bowled Afghanistan out for 94 to complete a 3-0 series win.
Abhishek and Sanju Samson added 142 for the first wicket. Axar Patel took two wickets in his opening over and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed three in one over. Afghanistan had posted 156 and 159 in the first two matches while batting first.
India now travel to Japan for the Asian Games. Afghanistan will field a largely changed squad for the tournament under new captain Darwish Rasooli.
Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been appointed ICC Deputy Chairperson until November 2027, becoming the first Zimbabwean to hold the role.
The International Cricket Council has appointed Tavengwa Mukuhlani as its Deputy Chairperson through November 2027. Mukuhlani, who currently serves as the Chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket and represents the nation on the ICC Board, is set to take over the position from Imran Khwaja.
Mukuhlani serves on the ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs and Nominations Committees, and he chairs the HR and Remuneration Committee. He will become the first Zimbabwean to be appointed as the Deputy Chair of the ICC.
His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for African cricket as Zimbabwe prepare to co-host the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 alongside South Africa and Namibia. ICC Chairman Jay Shah said Mukuhlani's experience and commitment to the game's development will be invaluable to the board.
Abhishek Sharma says he backed himself through a lean run before his record 30-ball century against Afghanistan.
Abhishek Sharma said he backed himself during a lean run that followed his Asia Cup success. The left-hander scored 108 off 34 balls in the third T20I against Afghanistan, reaching his century in 30 balls to break Rohit Sharma's Indian record.
Abhishek had managed only 141 runs at the T20 World Cup and three low scores in Zimbabwe before the Afghanistan series. He said one or two bad series do not define a player and that the team would bounce back from difficult phases.
India completed a 3-0 series sweep with a 127-run victory. Abhishek finished the series with 209 runs off 85 balls and now sits second in the ICC T20I batting rankings behind Ishan Kishan.
Adam Hose's century helped Worcestershire reach first-innings parity with Durham despite Ben Stokes's six wickets.
Adam Hose scored a century and Brett D'Oliveira made a half-century as Worcestershire reached first-innings parity with Durham on day two of their County Championship match. Ben Stokes took six wickets for Durham but could not prevent the visitors from matching their total of 312. Worcestershire closed on 310-8.
Hose and D'Oliveira added a crucial partnership after Worcestershire lost early wickets. The pair frustrated the Durham attack on a pitch that offered assistance to the seamers. Stokes bowled long spells and finished with figures of 6-87.
Durham are the newly crowned Division Two champions and are pushing for promotion. Worcestershire remain in the lower half of the Division One table and need points to avoid relegation.
Sussex moved 31 runs ahead of Nottinghamshire after Ari Karvelas took four wickets on day three at Hove.
Sussex took a 31-run lead over Nottinghamshire on day three of their County Championship match at Hove. Ari Karvelas claimed 4-34 and Jaydev Unadkat picked up three late wickets as Nottinghamshire reached 149-7 in their second innings. Nottinghamshire had earlier reduced Sussex's first-innings total of 358 by taking their last four wickets for eight runs.
Karvelas bowled a spell of 3-17 from 10 overs either side of tea that included the wicket of Joe Clarke for the second time in the match. The 32-year-old all-rounder had answered an SOS call from his former county last month. Nottinghamshire's Haseeb Hameed top-scored with 43 before cutting Karvelas to gully.
The visitors took a third bowling bonus point from the last ball of Sussex's first innings. Nottinghamshire now trail leaders Warwickshire and face a fight to retain their title.
England chose to bowl first on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's.
England won the toss and chose to bowl first against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Lord's on Thursday. Sri Lanka handed a debut to left-arm spinner Tharindu Ratnayake and made one other change to their side. Jofra Archer returned to the England XI after injury.
Harry Brook opted to chase after inspecting the pitch. The match marks England's first Test of the summer following their 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan. Sri Lanka arrived in England after a mixed tour of Australia.
Both teams have made adjustments to their bowling attacks. England are without several frontline options while Sri Lanka continue to blood younger players ahead of their home summer.
Leicestershire received a 27-point deduction and £5,000 fine after the Cricket Discipline Panel upheld charges of preparing a poor pitch.
The Cricket Discipline Panel imposed a 27-point penalty on Leicestershire for preparing a poor pitch in their Division One match against Glamorgan. The panel deducted 19 points from the Foxes' 42-run win and added an eight-point suspended penalty until the end of the 2027 season.
Head groundsman Callum Lewin cited an unscheduled one-day Bollywood filming event four days before the match as a factor beyond his control. The disciplinary panel dismissed this explanation because the shoot lasted only one day. Match referee Ian Ramage documented 43 instances of uneven bounce during the game.
Leicestershire now sits on 89 points from 12 matches and must beat Hampshire in their ongoing fixture to avoid relegation from Division One. The club stated it is reviewing the verdict and considering appeal options within the 10-day window.
Rizwan challenges NCCIA summons in Lahore High Court, questioning jurisdiction while PCB conducts parallel internal disciplinary inquiry.
Mohammad Rizwan filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court challenging summons issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The petition questions the NCCIA's jurisdiction and the nature of its investigation into the players.
Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were summoned by the NCCIA after Pakistan's 3-0 Test series defeat in England. Both players appeared at the agency's Lahore office and received multi-page questionnaires to complete.
The PCB announced an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct. Rizwan raised concerns about the absence of specific allegations against him in his response to the NCCIA questionnaire.
