Sri Lanka finished third in the men’s event, securing their second medal in Asian Games men’s cricket after gold in 2014.
Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by 63 runs in the men’s cricket bronze-medal match at the Asian Games on October 4. Tharindu Ratnayake top-scored with 65 off 32 balls. Nuwanidu Fernando was given out caught behind in the fourth over despite replays showing a clear gap between bat and ball. The Decision Review System was not available at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
Mukesh Kumar took six for 33 as Rest of India bowled out Jammu and Kashmir for 111 to win the Irani Cup by 167 runs in Srinagar on October 4. Akash Deep supported with three for 25 as J&K lost their last seven wickets for 22 runs.
J&K had taken a 41-run first-innings lead but collapsed after lunch on the final day. Ravichandran Smaran’s 135 in Rest of India’s second innings set up a target of 279.
The win gave Rest of India their first Irani Cup title since the 2024-25 season.
Hardik Pandya ruled out of India A series with right medial tibial stress syndrome; Suryansh Shedge drafted in as replacement.
Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge has replaced Hardik Pandya in the India A squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia A after Pandya was ruled out with right medial tibial stress syndrome. Pandya completed bowling, batting and fielding workloads during a September 17 simulation but complained of calf pain two days later, leading to an MRI scan that confirmed the diagnosis. The three-match series begins on October 6 in Puducherry with Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain and Devdutt Padikkal as vice-captain.
Pandya will undergo bisphosphonate therapy and vitamin-D supplementation for eight weeks as a precaution. Harshit Rana also faces a delayed return after suffering a left quadriceps strain and contracting a fever during rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Naman Dhir has been removed from the India A squad after being added to India's T20I team for the West Indies series.
Shedge cleared a fitness assessment at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence before joining the camp. His selection means he will miss Mumbai's Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium on October 11. Shedge has played three T20Is for India and scored 147 runs across five outings during a white-ball assignment in Sri Lanka in June 2026.
Sunil Gavaskar sets retirement target for Rohit Sharma after the batter falls for 92 against West Indies, hoping he surpasses his age in ODI centuries before the 2027 World Cup.
Sunil Gavaskar said he was disappointed after Rohit Sharma fell for 92 in the third ODI against West Indies in New Chandigarh on October 3. Gavaskar told JioStar that he wants Rohit to retire after the 2027 World Cup with more ODI centuries than his age. Rohit has 35 ODI hundreds at present.
A century in that match would have moved Rohit closer to the target of 40 hundreds by the time he turns 40. Gavaskar noted that he too wanted to have more Test centuries than his age when he retired at 38 but fell short after getting out in the 90s on three occasions. Rohit has scored two centuries and two fifties in his last four ODIs.
Rohit will next be seen in action during the five-match ODI series against New Zealand beginning November 4.
Aakash Chopra says Shivam Dube deserves more recognition for his consistent contributions in high-stakes matches across multiple World Cup and Asia Cup finals.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra said Shivam Dube does not get enough credit for his performances in big matches. Dube scored 27 off 15 balls in the Asian Games final against Pakistan, helping India post 211 for six before taking two wickets in the defence of the total.
Chopra noted that Dube’s ability to take down spinners allows teams to plan their batting resources differently, especially in conditions where spin dominates. He said Dube’s contributions in World Cup finals and Asia Cup finals show exceptional skill under pressure.
Dube also scored 27 off 16 in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa and an unbeaten 26 off eight in the 2026 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand. He made 33 off 22 in the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan.
Bangladesh suffered a six-wicket defeat against Pakistan in the rain-hit Asian Games men's cricket semifinal on October 1 and lost the bronze medal playoff to Sri Lanka by 63 runs two days later. Despite naming a full-strength squad, the team failed to secure a podium finish at the 2026 Games in Japan. Captain Litton Das acknowledged the poor results and his own form but said he sees no reason to step down.
Litton said the bowlers performed well in the first eight overs against Sri Lanka before Tharindu Ratnayake's 65 off 32 balls turned the match. He added that Bangladesh's batting failed to respond and that ups and downs are normal in cricket. The captain insisted there was no point resigning after one disappointing tournament.
Das said the team has delivered in the past and will try to do so again. He stated the target remains the same and the focus is on future performances rather than immediate resignation.
Shai Hope credits advice from MS Dhoni for helping him pace his unbeaten 162 during West Indies' record chase of 352 against India in the third ODI.
West Indies captain Shai Hope said advice from former India captain MS Dhoni helped him pace his innings during the record chase of 352 in the third ODI against India in New Chandigarh on October 3. Hope remained unbeaten on 162 off 143 balls as West Indies won by five wickets with 10 balls to spare.
Hope revealed that Dhoni told him he always has more time than he thinks. He said he tried not to focus on the end result and instead broke the game down into smaller parts while calculating India's slow over rate. Hope promoted himself to opener after a teammate was injured and spent the entire 50 overs behind the stumps before batting.
He reached his century off 104 balls and scored 62 off his final 39 deliveries to complete West Indies' highest successful ODI chase. India had posted 351 for seven, led by KL Rahul's unbeaten 129 and Rohit Sharma's 92.
Folk singer Malini Awasthi described India's 19-run win over Pakistan in the Asian Games men's T20 final as a day of celebration. Speaking in Patna, she congratulated Bihar cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his parents for his contribution to the gold-medal squad.
India posted 211 for six after Abhishek Sharma scored 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma made 51 off 22. Pakistan managed 192 for six despite Hasan Nawaz's 96 off 51 balls. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took two wickets each to seal the win.
The victory completed a gold-medal double for India after the women's team had already retained their title by defeating Sri Lanka. India's overall medal tally reached 85 with 21 gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana has resumed bowling at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence ahead of India's team selection for the upcoming all-format tour of New Zealand. India will play five ODIs, five T20Is and two Tests, with squads to be picked this week.
Rana was ruled out of the Afghanistan T20I series and the Asian Games with injury and has not played since July. If declared fit, he could be considered for the ODIs in November and potentially the Tests.
Ishan Kishan is also in contention for a Test recall after scoring 270 runs in the Duleep Trophy final for East Zone. He is the only wicketkeeper-batter to score over 250 runs in a single innings in the competition.
Sri Lanka will face Pakistan and England in a round-robin format, with the final scheduled for October 31 in Lahore.
Sri Lanka named a 16-member squad for the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. Kusal Mendis will captain the side. Charith Asalanka was omitted after scoring 1, 11 and 7 in three ODIs against England last month. Pathum Nissanka remains in the squad subject to medical clearance. Sahan Arachchige and Avishka Fernando are the only new inclusions. The tri-series begins on October 18 in Rawalpindi.
Former India all-rounder Madan Lal said India's men's cricket gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 paves the way for Olympic participation. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Nisshin on Saturday to retain their gold medal.
Madan Lal told ANI that winning the Asian Games is a significant achievement because the Olympics represent a global platform featuring the best teams from around the world. He noted that cricket's inclusion in the Olympics would enhance the team's profile and provide greater exposure.
Shreyas Iyer's side posted 211 for six in their 20 overs, led by Abhishek Sharma's 61 and Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51. Pakistan managed 192 for six in reply. The victory followed the women's team's gold medal win the previous week.
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth criticised India's bowling attack after the team lost the third ODI against the West Indies by five wickets. He said the bowling performance was pedestrian and questioned the selection of Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj. Srikkanth made the comments on his YouTube channel after West Indies chased down 352 in New Chandigarh.
Srikkanth said Mohammed Siraj should have bowled the final over instead of Kamboj, noting that Siraj had two overs remaining. He also questioned the team's decision to persist with Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder, saying the 23-year-old struggled with both bat and ball. Brar and Kamboj conceded 146 runs in their combined 18.1 overs while taking only one wicket.
Srikkanth added that India cannot win the World Cup with the current bowling resources and accused the team management of trying to develop random players without proper logic.
Former India player Aakash Chopra said Anshul Kamboj is slightly ahead of Auqib Nabi in the race to become India's seam-bowling all-rounder at No. 8 for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Harshit Rana remains the frontrunner but has been sidelined by injury.
Kamboj and Nabi each played one match in the recent West Indies ODI series. Chopra noted that the sample size is small but Kamboj showed more from an ODI cricket perspective.
Chopra said Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna are virtual certainties in the bowling attack. He added that Gurnoor Brar and Mohammed Siraj could compete for a potential fifth frontline seamer's spot.
Livingstone's $350,000 fee surpassed Gurbaz's earlier $310,000 record as Gulf Giants assembled an explosive batting group.
Gulf Giants set a new benchmark for the most expensive player in ILT20 history twice during the Season 5 Player Auction in Dubai. The Giants first exercised their Right-to-Match option to retain Rahmanullah Gurbaz for $310,000 before signing England all-rounder Liam Livingstone for $350,000.
Head coach Simon Helmot said the franchise had not planned to break the record twice in one night but was pleased with the quality added. The Giants also secured Alzarri Joseph for $230,000 along with Shamar Joseph, David Wiese, Ibrahim Zadran, Tabraiz Shamsi and Curtis Campher.
ILT20 Season 5 will be played from 22 November to 20 December 2026 across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
Kamran Akmal said Saim Ayub should focus on performance rather than social media after the send-off to Sooryavanshi.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal criticised Saim Ayub for his baby-cradle gesture after dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Asian Games men's cricket final. Akmal said Ayub should focus on his performance rather than social media relevance.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15 years, 6 months and 6 days, became the youngest Indian ever to win an Asian Games gold medal. The left-hander scored 15 from nine balls in the final after hitting 38 from 21 balls in the semi-final against Sri Lanka.
India posted 211 for six with half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. Pakistan replied with 192 for six despite Hasan Nawaz's 96 from 51 balls.
Ganguly said Hardik Pandya is crucial to India's balance at the 2027 ODI World Cup and warned that keeping him fit is Gautam Gambhir's biggest challenge.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said Hardik Pandya remains essential to India's balance at the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Ganguly told JioStar that keeping Pandya fit and match-ready is head coach Gautam Gambhir's biggest off-field challenge. He noted that Pandya has played two previous World Cups for India in 2019 and 2023.
Ganguly said India need a seaming all-rounder because none of the top five batters bowl. He added that if Hardik is unavailable, Nitish Reddy is the next option but must play regularly until the tournament. Ravindra Jadeja is another possibility at number seven. The ICC launched the 2027 schedule in Cape Town on Thursday, with the event running from October 2 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Ganguly welcomed India's opening fixture against Australia, calling it a good sign. He said he is looking forward to a potential Super 7 clash against South Africa. India will face Australia on October 7 in Cape Town, a rematch of the 2023 final.
Scorecards from the Asian Games men's cricket final between India and Pakistan, the third ODI between India and West Indies, and Australia's Test warm-up match were released on Saturday. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin to retain their title. Abhishek Sharma scored 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 as India posted 211 for six.
In the third ODI at New Chandigarh, West Indies chased down India's 352 with five wickets in hand. Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 162 off 143 balls to lead the visitors to their highest successful ODI chase. KL Rahul scored 129 not out off 87 balls for India.
Australia's Test warm-up match scorecard was also made available as the team prepares for its tour of South Africa. The warm-up serves as preparation for the Test series that begins in Durban on October 9.
Banton's hundred anchored the innings; Dawson's spell finished Sri Lanka's middle order.
Tom Banton scored a career-best 126 off 105 balls to lead England to a 223-run win in the third ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Sunday. Banton shared substantial stands with Harry Brook, who made 77, and Jordan Cox, who scored 76, as England posted 355 for nine.
Sonny Baker claimed his first ODI wicket when he dismissed Pathum Nissanka in the second over of Sri Lanka's chase. Liam Dawson took three for 17 and Gus Atkinson two for 26 as the tourists collapsed from 36 for one to 82 for six and were eventually bowled out for 132.
The victory gave England a 2-1 series win and completed a strong home summer in which Brendon McCullum's side recorded 12 wins in 14 white-ball matches.
Smaran was named Player of the Match after scoring 68 in the first innings and finishing unbeaten on 135 in the second.
Ravichandran Smaran scored an unbeaten 135 off 153 balls in the second innings to help Rest of India reach 306 for eight on day three of the Irani Cup against Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar. Smaran added an unbroken 113 runs for the ninth wicket with Mukesh Choudhary. He said at the post-match presentation that his approach remained the same as in the first innings and that he had played similar knocks during his U-23 days for Karnataka.
Babar Azam said Sufyan Moqim will serve Pakistan for years after taking 22 wickets in PSL 2026.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam said left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqim will serve the national team for years after his strong PSL 2026 campaign. Moqim took 22 wickets at an average of 14.40 and economy of 7.20 for Peshawar Zalmi.
Azam worked directly with the 20-year-old during the tournament and called him an asset for Pakistan's future. Moqim also claimed three wickets in Pakistan's Asian Games semi-final win over Bangladesh before going wicketless in the final loss to India.
The spinner added 12 wickets in six matches for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the Caribbean Premier League. Pakistan next play a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi starting October 11.
