South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said the team holds a strong desire to improve its recent ODI record ahead of the three-match series against Australia. The first ODI starts on Thursday in Durban. Bavuma returns to the side after a break since December 2025.

The squad features familiar players including Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, David Miller, Corbin Bosch and Quinton de Kock. Bavuma said the next nine ODIs against Australia, Bangladesh and England will shape preparations for the 2027 World Cup at home. He added that his batting position in the top three remains undecided.

Australia captain Pat Cummins is expected to miss the opener as the visitors manage workloads of their Test quicks ahead of the World Test Championship series. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood could feature in the first and third ODIs, while Nathan Ellis is in contention for a consistent role.

Essex County Cricket Club confirmed that 24-year-old batsman Robin Das has been charged with two counts of rape. The charges relate to an alleged incident in Brixton on 30 March 2024. Das was arrested on 27 August 2025 and formally charged on 23 July 2026, two days after his final appearance for the county in a One Day Cup match.

Das has played nine first-class and 29 List A matches for Essex and is due to appear at the Inner London Crown Court on 9 October. The club said it has maintained contact with the ECB, PCA and Cricket Regulator and that Das remains suspended. The Metropolitan Police confirmed specialist support continues for the complainant.

Essex stated that the alleged incident took place outside club activities and that the club will follow all appropriate legal processes and guidance.

Ayush Mhatre has resumed full training at the MCA Indoor Academy in Mumbai after recovering from a hamstring injury that ended his IPL season. The 19-year-old Chennai Super Kings opener is preparing for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy campaign that begins next month.

Mhatre scored 441 runs at a strike rate of 183.75 in 13 IPL matches across two seasons before the injury. He said he had spoken with Virat Kohli during rehabilitation about mindset, fitness and diet.

The teenager continues to live in Virar and commutes daily by local train to the Bandra Kurla Complex. He has captained India's 2026 Under-19 World Cup-winning side and made his IPL debut with a 15-ball 32 at the Wankhede Stadium.

Reece Topley has named Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar as the Indian batter who impresses him most. The former England fast bowler played alongside Patidar at RCB in 2023 and 2024.

Topley praised the 31-year-old's development since his IPL debut as a replacement player in 2021. Patidar led RCB to their maiden IPL title in 2025 and successfully defended it in 2026.

Topley also named Hardik Pandya as the Indian batter he would least want to face when defending 10 runs in the final over of a match.

The BCCI has shifted the multi-day match between India A Women and Australia A Women from Dharamshala to Mohali due to persistent rainfall. The fixture, scheduled from September 29 to October 2, will now be played at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the decision was taken to ensure cricketing activities continue without weather interruptions. The venue change comes after India A Women chased down 236 to win the opening one-day match by four wickets. Mohali is also hosting the ongoing three-match one-day series between the two sides.

The IPL player auction for the 2027 season will be held in Goa in December, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said on Thursday. The decision returns the auction to India after three consecutive years overseas in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Saikia did not name an exact date or venue. The auction is expected to be a mini-auction, with most players retained by their franchises. Retention deadlines have not yet been announced.

Saikia also confirmed that Ajit Agarkar's term as chairman of selectors ends on 4 October and that a successor will be named after that date. The board will announce its choice in the public domain once a decision is reached.

Bangladesh have drafted uncapped off-spinner Aliss Al Islam into their Asian Games squad to replace injured all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin. Saifuddin sustained a right hamstring injury during a practice session on September 19 and requires three weeks of rehabilitation, ruling him out of the tournament. Aliss, 29, is a specialist limited-overs spinner who recently featured for Bangladesh A in an ODI series in South Africa. Bangladesh's quarter-final is scheduled for September 29. The squad now includes an additional spin option alongside Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said Shubman Gill is fortunate to have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to guide him on and off the field in the 50-over format. Gambhir made the comments ahead of India's upcoming ODI series against West Indies.

Gambhir also stressed the importance of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah for the 2027 World Cup campaign, noting that both players will be needed in South Africa next year. He said Hardik requires game time after missing cricket following the IPL.

Gambhir acknowledged Gill has had a tough time in ODI cricket but said the captain has done the right things and deserves more opportunities. Bumrah and Hardik will miss the three-match West Indies series that begins on September 27.

Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that Chennai Super Kings considered Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra for the head coach position before appointing Zaheer Khan. Ashwin said Nehra was in the frame at some stage though he does not need to leave GT. The franchise also spoke to two other Indian legends and some overseas candidates, but deals did not materialise for various reasons including contract length and availability for international tournaments. Ashwin described Zaheer's appointment as fabulous, citing his relationship with MS Dhoni and his understanding of bowling tactics. Zaheer replaces Stephen Fleming, who left after 18 seasons to become England's red-ball coach.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson described India as the benchmark in white-ball cricket and said Pakistan's challenge is to catch up to that standard. He spoke during Pakistan's pre-departure camp ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. India have won the last six T20I meetings between the sides, including three victories during the 2025 Asia Cup. Pakistan will travel to Japan without Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, with Sahibzada Farhan leading a squad containing several emerging players. Hesson said the Asian Games provide an excellent platform for new and talented players to showcase their abilities. Both nations have directly qualified for the quarterfinals of the men's T20 event.