South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said he expects Kagiso Rabada to be available for the three-match Test series against Australia starting October 9 in Durban. Rabada has been sidelined with a right hamstring injury sustained during training in mid-August and will miss the ODI series.

Conrad said Rabada's rehabilitation is progressing well and a final decision on his availability would be made within days. The coach noted Rabada has taken 58 wickets in 11 Tests against Australia at an average of 21.39.

Conrad acknowledged that Rabada's presence would be significant but said the team had capable alternatives if needed. Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka are likely to shoulder greater responsibility in the fast bowling department.

Chennai Super Kings confirmed Zaheer Khan as head coach for IPL 2027 and outlined priorities that include fixing death bowling and refreshing the middle order. Owner Rupa Gurunath said Zaheer's record of nurturing talent made him the right fit.

KS Viswanathan added that Zaheer would work closely with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to strengthen the seam attack after the side conceded economy rates above 11 in the final four overs last season. The franchise also needs aggressive middle-order batters who can accelerate when Gaikwad anchors.

Zaheer said he was excited to join a franchise with such a rich history and promised to bring the same discipline he showed as a bowler to the coaching role.

Former domestic cricketer Rachit Bhatia sits at the centre of a Tehelka undercover report that claims a fixing network is running through the Delhi Premiere League. The investigation says he acted as the go-between for a fake bookie and a Central Delhi Kings player, promising the playing XI for every one of their 10 matches.

The same report alleges Bhatia offered to arrange spot-fixing in both the IPL and the DPL, and that he made Rs 3 crore by passing inside information on five Chennai Super Kings matches in 2025. He played six first-class games for Nagaland, 70 runs and 13 wickets, before the allegations surfaced. No word yet from the BCCI or ICC on whether any formal inquiry has begun.

Mohammad Rizwan asked the PCB twice for permission to speak publicly about the NCCIA inquiry into alleged financial dealings and information leaks. Both requests were turned down, Geo News reported. The board pointed to the central-contract clause that requires prior approval for any statement on covered matters.

Rizwan wanted to lay out the sequence of events and his own position, not to criticise the board. His phone is still with investigators after forensic checks.

The PCB will decide on disciplinary steps once the NCCIA finishes examining Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis could strengthen their Test recall prospects with strong performances in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. Both players impressed on the recent tour of Zimbabwe.

Connolly scored 51, 78 and 21 while taking three wickets across the three ODIs. Inglis made a run-a-ball 102 in the final match. The duo will bat at numbers three and four in next year's ODI World Cup.

McDonald said the selectors remain open-minded about moving white-ball specialists into the Test top order despite limited first-class experience in those positions. The ODI series begins on Thursday at Kingsmead in Durban.

Suryakumar Yadav said he'll finish ten seasons with Mumbai Indians by the time IPL 2027 ends. He called the franchise an institution that shaped his career and spoke of the tournament as a festival.

Recent reports had floated the possibility that he might drop his agency, RISE Worldwide, which has ties to the franchise owners. He didn't touch on the agency question.

He ended the 2026 season with 270 runs in 12 innings after a quiet year.

Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and Serum Institute of India executive Adar Poonawalla have received Competition Commission of India approval to acquire the Rajasthan Royals franchise and its two international teams. The transaction is valued at around $1.65 billion.

The deal covers Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Paarl Royals in South Africa's SA20 league and Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League. Westview Cricket Limited, owned by the Mittal family, will purchase about 75 per cent of the franchise group while Poonawalla will hold around 18 per cent.

The transaction still requires approval from the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council. Existing investors including Manoj Badale are expected to retain roughly 7 per cent.

Tamil Nadu have handed the Ranji Trophy captaincy to left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore for the 2026-27 season. He will lead the side from the front in their opening fixture against Rajasthan at Jaipur starting 11 October.

C Andre Siddarth, 20, steps up as vice-captain after finishing last season with 409 runs, third-highest in the squad. Two uncapped pacers, RD Pranav Ragavendra and D Deepesh, also earn their first call-ups.

Wicketkeeper-batter B Sachin drops out of the squad as the selectors weigh up SR Athish and G Ajitesh for that slot.

India A take on Australia A in the first of two unofficial Tests at the Cricket Association Pondicherry Siechem Ground, starting Tuesday. Devdutt Padikkal leads India A after scoring two centuries against Sri Lanka last month, while Sai Sudharsan returns from injury to open the batting.

India A named Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed and Kumar Kushagra from domestic performances. Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian will handle spin duties. Australia A include Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy and Jhye Richardson in their squad.

The series comes four months before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and provides an opportunity for emerging players to stake claims for Test selection. Both sides will use the matches to fill gaps ahead of the senior series.

R. Sai Kishore will lead Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season. The TNCA senior selection committee has picked a 16-member squad for the opening fixture against Rajasthan in Jaipur from October 11 to 14.

C. Andre Siddarth, who will play his third season, has been named vice-captain. The 20-year-old was TN's third-highest run-scorer with 409 runs last term. Left-arm spinner S. Ajith Ram returns after missing last year due to injury, while pacers R.D. Pranav Ragavendra and D. Deepesh received their first call-ups.

Sunil Subramanian, chairman of the selection committee, said the two young pacers represent the future of the attack. On opener B. Sachin missing out, Subramanian said backup wicketkeeper S.R. Athish and G. Ajitesh's strong show in the practice match forced the decision.