Former India batter Mohammad Kaif said Yashasvi Jaiswal should bat at number four in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies starting on Sunday. Kaif argued that shifting Jaiswal up the order would give him game time ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

He proposed an XI with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opening, Virat Kohli at three, Jaiswal at four, Ruturaj Gaikwad at five and KL Rahul at six. Ravindra Jadeja would bat at seven, followed by Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav and two fast bowlers.

Kaif also questioned India's decision to send a full-strength squad to the Asian Games while several senior players miss the limited ODI series before the World Cup. The series begins in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27.

Dhruv Jurel said Yashasvi Jaiswal was provoked by repeated verbal abuse from Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando during the second Test in Colombo. Jurel told Aakash Chopra that Jaiswal told Fernando he could show normal aggression after taking the wicket but could not abuse him.

Jurel said Jaiswal was walking back quietly when Fernando began the verbal attack, prompting the Indian opener to turn around and confront the bowler. The exchange required intervention from players on both sides.

Both players were later sanctioned by the ICC and handed demerit points. Jurel added that Jaiswal never initiates sledging but will respond if provoked.

India wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel said Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando repeatedly abused Yashasvi Jaiswal after dismissing him in the second Test in Colombo.

Jaiswal turned back during his walk to the dressing room and confronted Fernando, leading to the headbutt that drew sanctions from the ICC. Both players were fined 25 per cent of their match fees and received one demerit point for inappropriate physical contact.

Jurel told Aakash Chopra that Jaiswal told Fernando normal aggression was acceptable but personal abuse was not. Neither player had prior offences in the preceding 24 months.

Cricket West Indies has announced a 25 percent reduction in men's central contract retainers from October 2026 to September 2027 and moved domestic players to seven-month contracts starting the same month. The board also suspended the men's Super50 and the Women's T20 Blaze for the coming season, citing unsustainable operational costs.

The measures follow a US$28 million net loss for the year ending September 2025 and a projected US$26 million shortfall for the 2026 cycle. CWI received a US$12.82 million emergency loan from the ICC in July. Chief executive Chris Dehring said the cuts follow agreement with the West Indies Players' Association and are needed for financial stability.

With the Super50 cancelled, CWI will arrange white-ball matches against England A in November and run an ODI camp ahead of the February-March 2027 World Cup qualifier. Qualification tournaments for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be funded by individual member boards rather than CWI.

Cricket West Indies has announced a 25% pay cut for players as part of financial restructuring. The board has suspended the upcoming Super50 and Women's T20 Blaze tournaments.

The pay reduction applies across the player pool. CWI has not announced when the competitions will resume. The financial measures follow a period of reduced revenue from bilateral series and limited sponsorship support.

The restructuring comes ahead of West Indies' three-match ODI series against India that begins on 27 September in Thiruvananthapuram. Most of India's first-choice players remain unavailable due to Asian Games duty in Japan.

The Mumbai Cricket Association handed the Navi Mumbai franchise to Aspect Sport for Rs 106.88 crore over six years. The first season alone costs Rs 12.21 crore. The ninth team widens the league’s reach and opens another path for local players.

MCA president Ajinkya Naik said the move brings the game to more corners of Mumbai. Chairman Rajdip Gupta added that the extra side should make the ecosystem sturdier. Rohit Sharma remains the league’s public face, and several India players have passed through its sides in recent seasons.

Warwickshire's march towards a ninth County Championship title continued at Edgbaston on Thursday as relegation-bound Leicestershire were crushed by the Bears' bowling attack. The visitors chose to bat first but collapsed for 125, effectively confirming their demotion subject to appeal.

Ethan Bamber took four for 42 and Chris Woakes claimed three for 20 as only Ben Cox with 33 and Sol Budinger with 27 resisted for long. Warwickshire reached 130 for four by the close, with Sam Hain unbeaten on 37.

Leicestershire will appeal against a 27-point penalty. Warwickshire's attack has now bowled out the opposition for less than 200 seven times out of nine this season.

Jaydev Unadkat claimed the 25th first-class five-for of his career as Sussex closed in on victory over Hampshire. The Indian left-arm fast bowler took 5-32 as Hampshire were rolled for 128 on day two at the Utilita Bowl. Sussex had made 244 in their first innings, with Jack Leaning's 78 lifting them from 124 for seven. Tom Haines then made 99 not out as Sussex reached 216 for five and a lead of 332 runs by stumps. Hampshire's batting points total for the season stands at four after they failed to reach 250 in the first innings. The already-relegated hosts face a tough task to salvage the contest on day three.

Abhiram Singh Yadav of Persatuan Cricket Indonesia has been elected to the ICC Chief Executives' Committee as one of three representatives for Associate Members. He secured 30 votes, ahead of Sarah Gomerall of Jersey with nine and Vignaesh Sankaran of Germany with three.

Yadav fills the vacancy created when Gurumurthy Palani was appointed to the ICC Board in July. He will serve on the committee until the next elections at the ICC Annual Conference in June 2027.

The committee position gives Associate Members a voice in cricket's global administration at a time when the sport is expanding its footprint beyond traditional Test-playing nations.

B Sai Sudharsan struck a fifty in his first innings back after recovering from a toe injury that ruled him out of India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old was dismissed for 57 attempting a sweep shot against Todd Murphy in the first unofficial Test against Australia A in Puducherry. He was on course for another fifty in the second innings until a sweep shot went awry.

Sudharsan said the rehabilitation period was not frustrating and formed part of the natural journey players go through. He added that he felt how much he had missed being in the middle after his first innings return and stressed the importance of putting bowlers under pressure on deteriorating pitches.

Sudharsan is targeting a reserve opener's slot for India's tour of New Zealand. His absence allowed Devdutt Padikkal to score back-to-back hundreds and establish himself as frontrunner for the Test number three position with averages near 73 against spin.

Mumbai Indians have appointed Luke Williams as head coach for the 2027 Women's Premier League season. Williams replaces Lisa Keightley, who has left the franchise to take up a role with Cricket Australia.

Williams has won two Women's Big Bash League titles with Adelaide Strikers and guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden WPL title in 2024. He has also been an assistant coach with the England women's team since 2025 and was part of Southern Brave's coaching staff during their inaugural Hundred triumph.

Mumbai Indians have won two of the four WPL editions held so far, lifting the trophy in 2023 and 2025 under captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Williams will take charge ahead of the 2027 season.

Former India batsman Aakash Chopra said the IPL 2027 mini-auction in Goa will lack high-profile players capable of attracting record bids. He told viewers on his YouTube channel that teams are expected to retain their cores for the final season of the current cycle, leaving a shallow pool of released players. Chopra added that the auction will still allow franchises to make small course corrections rather than major overhauls.

The BCCI confirmed the auction will take place in Goa on December 15 and 16, returning to Indian soil after three successive overseas editions. Chopra questioned why the board has struggled to secure a suitable hotel during India's December wedding season and suggested a long-term partnership could solve the recurring logistical issue.

Chopra separately defended the umpiring decision that reversed a wide call during India's two-run win over Japan. He said the reversal followed current ICC rules that treat switch hits and reverse sweeps identically and award the benefit of the doubt to the bowler once the batter changes stance.