Former India captain Kris Srikkanth believes Naman Dhir has replaced Washington Sundar as India's off-spin-bowling all-rounder in white-ball cricket. Srikkanth made the comments after Dhir took three wickets on his T20I debut in India's eight-wicket win over West Indies in Lucknow.

Dhir bowled all four overs and conceded 31 runs on debut. Srikkanth said Dhir's ability to slow the ball when hit shows he is a thoughtful bowler suited to T20 cricket.

Srikkanth also said Dhir's four-over spell demonstrates why the Impact Player rule should be removed in the IPL. He noted that Dhir has bowled only 36 overs across his entire T20 career before the international debut.

The ICC says more than 100,000 ticket applications have already been submitted for the India-Pakistan clash on October 10 at next year's ODI World Cup. Overall demand for tickets to the 2027 ODI World Cup has crossed the one-million mark since the ballot opened on October 1.

The tournament will be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21 next year. The South Africa-India game has received over 86,000 applications, while the India-Australia fixture has crossed 80,000 applications.

The global cricket body said the pre-seeded Super 7 encounter between India and Pakistan on November 7 has attracted 75,000 applications so far. The tournament's final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg has received nearly 65,000 applications. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said one million ticket applications in just over 48 hours demonstrates the attention and stature of the event.

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik raised concerns about flat pitches after India chased down 171 to beat West Indies by eight wickets in the first T20I at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday. He said one-sided matches risk becoming meaningless when teams score 170 and the opposition finishes the chase inside 15 overs.

Karthik noted that India have won their last eight home T20Is and recorded only four losses in their last 30 matches at home. He questioned whether the pitches offered enough for spinners and said West Indies showed little fight after India lost two early wickets in the chase.

India face West Indies again in Ranchi on Friday. The JSCA Stadium has not seen a 200-run total in its four previous T20Is since 2016.

England will start their World Cup build-up without Jos Buttler. The former captain pulled a hamstring during his innings against Sri Lanka at Headingley last week, sat out Sunday's decider at the Kia Oval, and has now been ruled out of next month's 50-over tri-series in Pakistan.

Limited-overs coach Brendon McCullum confirmed Buttler won't be available for the tour. Jordan Cox steps in as wicketkeeper-batter after his first ODI recall in nearly two years against Sri Lanka.

Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls as India defeated West Indies by eight wickets in the first T20I at Lucknow on Tuesday. India chased down 172 in 14.4 overs after West Indies were bowled out for 171. Iyer reached his century in 42 balls, the second-fastest by an Indian against West Indies in T20Is.

Naman Dhir claimed 3 for 31 on his T20I debut while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav each took two wickets. Shai Hope scored 52 and Sherfane Rutherford made 56 for West Indies. Ishan Kishan remained unbeaten on 37 as the pair added 137 runs for the third wicket.

Yuzvendra Chahal said the innings showed how much Iyer's batting has improved since taking over as captain in June.

Australia A defeated India A by 125 runs in the first unofficial ODI in Puducherry on Tuesday. Nathan McSweeney scored 123 and Will Sutherland made 77 as Australia A posted 274. Mahli Beardman took 4 for 23 on his return from a back stress injury.

India A were bowled out for 149 in reply. Rajat Patidar scored a fifty but the rest of the batting failed to build partnerships. McSweeney and Sutherland added 141 for the sixth wicket to turn the innings around after Australia A had slipped to 5 for 87.

Beardman is playing his third match since returning from injury. He said he was working to get back over 140kph and increase his red-ball workload. The second unofficial ODI is scheduled for October 9.

Smriti Mandhana has been appointed India's captain across all three formats after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down following the 2025 World Cup triumph. The 30-year-old left-hander has already led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs as deputy.

Harmanpreet led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. She guided the side to its first 50-over World Cup title on home soil and back-to-back Asian Games gold medals. She described the decision as difficult but said she leaves believing the team has the talent and character for future success.

Mandhana recently became the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket with a record 18 centuries across formats. Her first assignment is the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe that begins on Friday, followed by three ODIs in Vadodara.

Smriti Mandhana takes over as India women's full-time white-ball captain after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from every role. The BCCI made the call Tuesday following a selection meeting in Guwahati. Mandhana has led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, and she will start with the home series against Zimbabwe.

Shafali Verma is the new T20I vice-captain, Deepti Sharma the ODI vice-captain. Mandhana has already won two Women's Premier League titles with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Her first games in charge are the three-match T20I and ODI series against Zimbabwe that begins October 16 in Raipur.

Harmanpreet won the 2025 ODI World Cup and held the top job for more than ten years. The BCCI also named the squads for Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

South Africa named their XI for the first Test against Australia at Kingsmead, Durban, starting October 9 without Kagiso Rabada. The fast bowler remains sidelined with a right hamstring injury sustained in August. Captain Temba Bavuma said the team took a conservative approach and will wait until Rabada reaches full fitness before selecting him.

Anrich Nortje returns to the Test side for the first time since March 2023 after recovering from back and hip injuries. He trained with the squad at Kingsmead on Thursday and will join Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer in the attack. South Africa opted for two spinners at the venue.

Bavuma said Rabada will be included once he receives medical clearance and is expected to return for the second Test in Gqeberha. Rabada has not played competitive cricket since the IPL in May.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to India's T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand after a four-year gap. The 36-year-old last represented India in November 2022. He finished the 2026 IPL with 28 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and worked with strength coach Surya Yadav to rebuild his fitness and restore outswing.

Varun Chakravarthy also returns after recovering from a side strain, while Ravi Bishnoi has been left out. Jasprit Bumrah will miss the series as he prepares for upcoming ODI and Test assignments. India begin the tour in Christchurch on October 22.

Selectors are reportedly assessing Kumar's fitness as part of broader planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with concerns over the current pace bowling options prompting the recall.