Former India pacer Varun Aaron predicted Lucknow Super Giants seamer Mayank Yadav to win Player of the Match in the first T20I against the West Indies on October 6. Aaron backed the young bowler to take three or more wickets in the contest at Lucknow.
Mayank is returning from injury and has taken nine wickets in six T20Is at an average of 17.22 and an economy of 6.73. He took five wickets in India’s 3-0 T20I series win in Zimbabwe earlier this year.
Aaron also predicted that India will score over 250 in the high-scoring first T20I and backed Abhishek Sharma to score a century. Abhishek has three T20I centuries, including the fastest by an Indian off 30 balls against Afghanistan.
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.
Shreyas Iyer backed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to dominate but said established openers will keep their places for the West Indies series.
India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will dominate Indian cricket when his opportunity arrives. The 15-year-old has played eight T20Is since debuting against England in July and was part of the Asian Games gold-winning squad.
Iyer noted the contrast between Sooryavanshi’s quiet personality off the field and his destructive batting on it. He said the teenager remains in the squad behind established openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
India begin a five-match T20I series against West Indies in Lucknow on October 6. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has indicated the current opening combination will continue for now.
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.
India A will play Australia A in a three-match unofficial ODI series at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground from October 6 to 11. Ruturaj Gaikwad will captain the side.
The India A squad includes Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Australia A’s squad features Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Spencer Johnson and Riley Meredith.
Matches will be televised on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar from 9:30 AM IST each day.
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.
Ajinkya Rahane said India should give new players consistent chances rather than dropping them after single matches.
Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane said the team should not judge Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj on single performances after both made their ODI debuts in the series against West Indies. Nabi took 0 for 84 in 8.5 overs in the second ODI before being dropped, while Kamboj returned 0 for 82 in nine overs in the third match.
Rahane said it becomes difficult for players when they are introduced and then immediately left out. He said Anshul Kamboj must be wondering when his next chance will come after seeing Nabi dropped following one game. Rahane added that selectors do not need to bring in a different player for every match.
India named a debutant in each of the three ODIs against West Indies. Rahane said if a player is in World Cup plans, it is important to give them confidence through consistent opportunities rather than one-off appearances.
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.
Gill's post-series criticism of India's bowling and fielding shows a captain empowered to demand structural improvements rather than accept mediocrity.
Shubman Gill scored 333 runs across the three-match ODI series against West Indies, including an unbeaten 223 in the second ODI, and equalled MS Dhoni's record of seven Player of the Series awards. After the five-wicket defeat in the series finale, he flagged concerns over fielding and death bowling, saying the side needed more clarity on when to attack and defend.
Gill pointed to the poor powerplay bowling in the final match as the root cause and called for discussions with selectors ahead of the 2027 World Cup. He stressed that fringe players needed opportunities in a short series, with decisions based on who could contribute most in South African conditions.
The captain's willingness to criticise the bowling unit publicly after a series victory marks a shift from previous Indian sides that often papered over structural weaknesses. Gill's comments come with the 2027 World Cup less than a year away and with several senior players nearing the end of their careers.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas said Pakistan no longer offer much competition after India's 19-run win over them in the Asian Games cricket final on October 3. He praised the Indian team's ability to handle pressure situations in the gold-medal match at Korakuen Stadium in Nisshin.
Manhas also noted that the Indian team was the best at the tournament and described their performance as commendable. He highlighted the contributions of Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma, saying the openers set the tone and the middle order finished the innings.
India posted 211 for six, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma unbeaten on 51 off 22. Pakistan replied with 192 for six, Hasan Nawaz making 96. The win marked India's seventh consecutive T20I victory over Pakistan since the 2024 T20 World Cup.
