Stephen Fleming says he wants to take England to the top of the Test rankings. The former New Zealand captain replaced Brendon McCullum in the role and has added the World Test Championship to his list of goals.

Fleming believes the team's identity and sense of belonging matter as much as results. He credits McCullum and Ben Stokes with shifting how Test cricket is played, but he also wants better decision-making when matches turn on small margins.

He met Stokes on a county tour and found the captain comfortable with his decision to step away from Tests. Fleming's first job is the tour of India later this year.

The Asia Cup trophies won by India's men's and women's teams are still sitting at ACC headquarters in Dubai. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had told the board the silverware would reach Mumbai, but nothing has arrived yet.

Both Indian teams refused to collect their trophies from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the presentation ceremonies. Saikia said the board had already informed the ACC of its position before the women's final, and the decision followed from the circumstances at the time.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed Naqvi raised no objection. Naqvi's term as ACC president runs until April 2027, and the dispute now leaves open the question of how future trophies will be presented under the current leadership.

Former India coach Sandeep Patil said the team has enough depth to manage without Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli at the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Patil said the decision on the two veterans will rest on their willingness to continue, their fitness and the selectors' strategy. He noted that the squad already has three or four bowlers who can bowl above 140 kmph and added that the bench strength gives selectors options for the future.

India play a three-match ODI series against West Indies starting on 27 September in Thiruvananthapuram. Ajit Agarkar will step down as chief selector when his contract ends on 4 October.

Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod won silver for India in the women's 10m air rifle team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Sunday. The Indian trio scored 1898.0 points to finish second behind China on 1904.2, with Japan taking bronze on 1897.1. Sonam Maskar led the scoring with 634.1, followed by Elavenil with 633.5 and Vidarsa with 630.4.

Vidarsa Vinod became the first female shooter from Kerala to win a medal at the Asian Games. The 1999-born shooter from Kozhikode, who took up the sport in 2018, described the achievement as a source of pride for her state. Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan congratulated her via video call and said the state government would provide jobs and cash rewards of ₹30 lakh for the silver medal.

India's women's hockey team opened their campaign with a 19-0 victory over Uzbekistan. Suchika Tariyal also secured a medal in the women's traditional 60kg MMA event, defeating Altanchimeg Baigalmaa to reach the semifinal.

Former India pacer Parvinder Awana participated in the Sundays on Cycle event under the Fit India Movement in New Delhi on Sunday. He encouraged youngsters to make fitness a daily habit and avoid substance abuse.

Awana said regular training improves physical fitness and mental decision-making. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya joined members of the Indian diaspora in Japan for a similar cycling event to support athletes at the Asian Games.

The Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative runs across all states and union territories every week. Over 6,000 NAMO Fit India clubs participate nationwide.

India won its first medal of the Asian Games 2026 when Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod took silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event on Sunday. The trio scored 1898.0 points, finishing 6.2 behind China’s world-record 1904.2 and 0.9 ahead of hosts Japan. Sonam led the Indian effort with 634.1 points, followed by Elavenil on 633.5 and Vidarsa on 630.4. Elavenil later added an individual silver, finishing second in the eight-woman final with 252.4 points.

India and Japan will meet in a senior men's T20I for the first time on Tuesday at the Sano International Cricket Ground. The match forms part of the Sport 75 initiative marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Japan Cricket Association has upgraded facilities at Sano to host the fixture, including temporary seating and security protocols. Registered players in Japan have grown from 3,000 to 8,800 over the past twelve years, though the sport still competes with baseball for mainstream attention.

India are ranked second in the world while Japan sit 41st. The match serves as preparation before both teams travel to Nagoya for the Asian Games cricket competition.

JSW Inspire has denied reports that India's cricket teams faced sizing and delivery problems ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The kit supplier said both men's and women's teams received their performance kits well before departure.

Team managers confirmed the kits were in order, the company said. The men's team will wear JSW Inspire kit when travelling from Tokyo to Nagoya on September 26. JSW Inspire clarified it was not responsible for ceremonial kit production.

India's men play a bilateral T20 against Japan on September 22 before the Asian Games begin on September 28. Reports had claimed some players waited for correctly sized kits before departure.

JSW Inspire has denied reports that some members of the Indian men's cricket team did not receive kits of the right size ahead of the Asian Games. The kit manufacturer said both men's and women's teams received their kits well in advance of departure.

The clarification came after media reports claimed a dispute between the BCCI and JSW Inspire over jersey sizes. JSW Inspire stated that team managers confirmed the kits were in order and that the men's team will wear the JSW Inspire kit when travelling from Tokyo to Nagoya on September 26.

The men's team will wear a different jersey for their one-off T20I against Japan on September 22. The Asian Games opening ceremony saw Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat as India's flag-bearers after shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor was replaced due to a ceremonial kit issue.

England regained the top ICC T20I ranking after completing a 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka with an eight-wicket win in the third match at Old Trafford on Saturday. The hosts chased down 125 in less than 10 overs to reclaim the top spot they had briefly held earlier this year.

England had lost the top ranking to India after the 4-0 series defeat in March but India could not hold on despite winning their recent series against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. England had already won the first two matches by 119 runs and six wickets respectively, completing their 15th consecutive T20I victory over Sri Lanka.

Jos Buttler scored 62 from 32 balls to lead the chase while captain Harry Brook contributed 33. Buttler became the first batter to reach 15,000 career T20 runs during the series.

England beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the third T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday to complete a 3-0 series sweep and replace India as the world number one T20I side. Chasing 125, England reached the target with 62 balls remaining. Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 62 from 32 balls and Harry Brook made 33.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 124 in 18.5 overs. Pathum Nissanka top-scored with 36 and Kamindu Mendis made 35. Sonny Baker, Will Jacks and Jofra Archer each took two wickets for England.

England play a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka next week, starting at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India claim that it will bring the men's and women's Asia Cup trophies home in the near future, Pakistani media have claimed that the Asian Cricket Council chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has no intention of giving up the silverware.

According to Geo, the trophies will remain at the ACC office in Dubai, in Naqvi's possession, as the Pakistani politician is adamant about his demand that the Indian teams receive the trophy only from him.

The saga began during the 2025 men's Asia Cup when India, after beating Pakistan in the final, refused to take the trophy from Naqvi at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India's position at the time was backed by the BCCI in light of the Pahalgam attack, and by the fact that Naqvi is the interior minister of Pakistan, with a history of offensive statements against India.

The BCCI will mark its 100th anniversary with a year-long programme starting in December 2027 and running through 2028. Board officials discussed forming a centenary committee at Friday's AGM in Mumbai, and one proposal under review is an India versus Rest of the World XI match. The Indian team has never faced an ICC World XI in an official international fixture.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has urged the team management to give Yashasvi Jaiswal regular ODI opportunities ahead of the 2027 World Cup. Pathan said Jaiswal is India's third-choice opener and needs consistent game time to avoid entering the World Cup short of match practice. India face the West Indies in a three-match ODI series beginning September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Jaiswal has played six ODIs in three years and scored 285 runs at an average of 71.25, including two centuries. Pathan said the series offers a chance to test several players with Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar away at the Asian Games. Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi and Nitish Kumar Reddy have earned call-ups for the series.

Pathan noted the team can afford to experiment against the West Indies and called the overlapping schedules a blessing in disguise for young players.